This hi-fi UPGRADE changes EVERYTHING (yes, really)

[@michaelweyrauch734]

Those who cannot afford professional acoustic treatment of the room can try this with shelves full of books, carpeting and curtains. This is also more accepted by the partner.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Nice makeover, thanks for the shout out!

[@jvogel431]

This was the most amazing transformation. Just your voice alone while recording was remarkably different. Stunning upgrade. Regarding price: I was prepared for you to say this cost 3x as much. 5 grand seems like a bargain given the dramatic improvement in the sound. My ancient and mid-level audio system might actually sound decent in your space! Thanks for doing what you do. I am always fascinated by your videos. Be well.

[@brianlewis5042]

As soon as you spoke I heard a dramatic improvement. The series of video on your new space stresses how important room treatments are and their effects on the sound we hear in a particular room. Like everything in HiFi, if your budget allows and you get buy in with others, it just makes sense. Fun to watch and follow.

[@simonjones3410]

Curtains and carpet have always made a huge difference in my experience, relatively cheap too !

[@perlarsen9965]

Acoustic treatment, imho, need to be well balanced and done by experts like Vicoustic. A room with unbalanced treatment will typically be too boomy as you tend to absorb a lot more hi and mid's with curtain and heavy textiles in my experience.

[@jetforcer84]

You are absolutly right. I saw people spending thousands of dollars for cables or amplifiers, but didn‘t care much about their room. 5000€ for this result is much, but absolutly worth it.

[@richardf2209]

John, this series of videos regarding how absolutely vital a tame(d) listening room is to the enjoyment of music through the hardware we buy has been excellent. The evolution of your Lisbon listening room from terrible sound to terrific sound, or "life-changing" sound, as you put it, has taught me a lot. I've had the wall behind my rig, as well as the first reflection points on my side walls treated, but not the ceiling, though I've wondered for years if I should go for it. Your positively gushing enthusiasm for the wonderfully positive effect that all of Vicoustics treatments have made, especially that massive ceiling absorber/diffuser, has me motivated to pull the trigger on a ceiling treatment for my listening room. I hope my venture is as successful as yours. Thank you.

[@robonzo4817]

Love this video. I can only dream of spending that kind of money on room treatment, but what I enjoy is that the aesthetic matters to you and I don't find the treatment obtrusive. It is very designed and almost art like, my partner would definitely approve. I find the 'audiophiles' who do nothing but dump a system on an 'audio' stand in a corner, wires trailing everywhere, no room treatment and then bang on about spending £10k on a cartridge very odd, surely the first place to begin is placement, room, setup basics.

[@jim010109]

The clap test showed huge results. I think the wood look behind the TV looks really cool.

[@syanhc]

This was probably my favourite video to date made by John. I work in professional studios as I record my own albums there and I know the importance of room acoustics and room treatments. For those who can’t afford such treatments, the best way to get great audio is to either use cheaper materials DIY or if that’s just not an option, use quality headphones with a dac and something like the RME ADI-2 FS so that one could slightly EQ the sound and get the most neutral freq. response if that is desired. Love seeing those guys install the panels. The sound of John speaking in the room now is so much better.

[@bksve6505]

A combination of the two makes sense as well. Room treatment and slight correction of the frequency response, e.g. via the RME ADI 2 DAC. This is how I got rid of the most prominent room mode, excited by the left speaker. Real world rooms are often asymmetrical, as in my case. Room correction DSP is quite popular in these days, but I think, even a simple parametric EQ can be very effective, in conjunction with some room treatment.

[@RennieAsh]

Absorption isn't too expensive. Some pink acoustic batts, bit of wood length, cloth and your elbow. Hold it up with alien tape or else proper wall sticker hooks . Or make a stand and lean it against the wall.

[@syanhc]

I think there is an overload of speaker, dac, amp options etc..on the market but very few separate eq systems. That's one of the reasons the ADI-2 solved most of my issues. For those of us who don't play audio from a computer, we need to eq further down the audio signal. I thought of the Lokius but really it's not specific enough for what I needed.

[@dentekcitations]

Problem is, folks don't know where to being with what goes where, how room geometry changes that, flat ceilings vs pitched, etc etc etc. If this has already been explained, I'd love to read/view!

[@WhiskyStuff]

I can’t see one person grumble about your room. You presented the facts in a way, why wouldn’t you condition the room? It was like night and day obvious. Great video John.

[@stevemiller9480]

Yes this video is important, informative and entertaining! Bravo!

[@Dwyane1st]

5k for such a significant result really isn't expensive at all. especially consider the aesthetics these bring (that wood and dark green combo just works brilliantly, looking so elegant and premium). love it

[@j.b.5230]

You can tell how much better it is by just listening to you - there is zero reverb... or at least it sounds like it in the video. That in itself is proof positive.

[@HD-su9sq]

It truly is night and day, and while the cost is significant I would say the treatment is essential for you or anyone serious about their music. As a layman I was surprised that the front wall treatment was above speaker level. Congratulations on having a listening room - that looks very nice too!

[@madsmix]

John, I couldn't agree more. I have never come across a monitoring system that made a bad room sound good. I cannot recall how many times I have seen people spend way more than €50,000 (ten times more) in a bad room and magically expect "good sound"! Acoustics are grossly underrated in this HiFi world and more so in the Pro Audio world! Happy listening!

[@dhmallet]

I think it is aesthetically gorgeous. As a reviewer, you need it.

[@jimbrunsman1011]

I'm sure spending $5K for room treatments is better than many other hi fi purchases. I would do this if I had the funds. Thanks for an informative video.

[@arrowzen7433]

The final link in your audio chain befor the signal hits your ears is the air in your room - it is also one big instrument. You are in effect listening to the interface between you and the room and the speakers and the room. The acoustics of the room will inevitably be a crucial. Clearly shows here…

[@robintaylor1296]

To be honest, John, the dark wood panels with the green absorbers look really classy. 👌 I can't think of a greater way to show the difference between being treated and untreated than the test the Vicoustic chap did. Wow just amazing.

[@bayard1332]

top video, every word true. I learned acoustics a few years ago and treated two (very different from each other) rooms and things went from the worst sounding rooms I ever lived in to -really (really) - good. Never go back...

[@peterlenz2188]

Very good video. As an engineer I appreciate that you can clearly demonstrate the benefit of the treatment. Like you indicated, not many other changes to the equipment will have such a dramatic effect.

[@tomfull6637]

Do you want a $250,000 hifi sound but only have 2,500?!… Read the end of this post! 😊 12 years ago I did this room treatment myself in my last home. The hifi-trade wasn’t there yet so I had to do the research and studying myself. I even tore down a wall, moved it, and in the corner left a big opening (only covered with a colour matched fabric) in which the really low frequencies (low frequencies LOVE corners! Corners work like 9 dbA amplifiers) could sneak out into “reversed organ pipes” (built in wood) length tuned to the different resonance frequencies I had problems with. A resonance wave would bounce inside at the end of the tube and on its way out meet its next wave peak but reversed a half wave length - cancelling it! In the ceiling I installed wood “ribbons” wider than yours behind your telly, yet very good looking and a bit wider with rounded profiles. With the goal of keeping the sound energy but dispersing all the resonance sound waves the room dimensions created. Not to dig too deep into my wallet I worked with “distance to wall” behind my dampers (normal house insulation mtrl - stone wool). Here’s a hint - 5 cm (two inch) stone wool 5 cm out from the wall is practically identical to 10 cm thickness of stone wool as regards damping effect. Moved out further, each cm of distance equals cm of stone wool not needed to buy.. you get the point.. Now to the 1/4 million hifi tips 😎 When choosing a hifi amplifier or loudspeaker people tend to scrutinise spec sheets chasing fractions of decimals in dbA in THD or flatness in frequency response curves. And yet, your listening room amplifies a number of frequencies by hundreds of percentages in volume!… and some frequencies are even cancelled out at your listening position 🤥🤣🤣🤣 ..filtering out mosquitoes but swallowing camels (Swedish saying..) 😂 Here are the free tips: 1) place your loudspeakers with EXACTLY 1/3 of the room width between and on each outside of the speakers! This eliminates up to the seventh degree of resonance the room width causes. (The brain can perceive up to 10’th grade but for each order of resonance grade the energy in the sound wave is lesser and lesser so the brain ignores it as irrelevant (thus you don’t “hear it” or perceive to be correct). Inches won’t do here. It’s ~ 1/4-1/2” accuracy! 2) move your listening position out from the wall behind you some 30 cm (12”). Early (in milliseconds) reflections creates sound porridge. There is a magic threshold in milliseconds where the brain no longer bothers with reflection as a disturbance. It’s only perceived as reverb. Not porridge! This secondary -indirect- sound comes to your ears from a direct bounce from the wall behind you but also from the floor and ceiling. Imagine the room as covered in mirrors. Your ears “sees” the direct sound from your loudspeakers but also all mirror reflections when the sound bounces towards your ears. A carpet on the floor takes care of the floor problem. The ceiling requires some hanging of either damping pads (on the spot where you would se the mirror reflections of your speakers) but rather diffusers in the ceiling not to get a too dead sound. Side walls the same but probably unnecessary as the reflection delay time in milliseconds is long enough to cause reverb instead of porridge (with my 1/3-1/3-1/3 trick). 3) Now to the last, very important hifi-refining tip!.. but most difficult WAF! wife acceptance factor! Distance between speakers and wall behind. By pulling out the speakers into the room. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. From the top of my head I think it was approx 38% of the room depth from back wall to speaker positions. This measure very efficiently eliminates porridge reflections! You now have a $250,000 sound gear in your home! Congrats! With all the three measures done, this will change the way you perceive tunes you have heard thousands of times to an entirely new level of experience - now you are sitting in the mixing studio with the band. Or present at that precious concert moment. There is no going back now! Kind regards Anders Sweden HiFi nerd and physics nerd and just in general nerd.. 🤓 PS. 4) Frosting on the cake… put a bath towel or thicker yoga mat under your speakers. With step 1-3 already done, this silly little thing will change the bass sound of big floor standing speakers in particular. You will now hear that “wow, it is not an electric base guitar, it is a synth base!” The fluffiness of low frequencies are dried up! No joke! 😎😁

[@tomfull6637]

Addition.. the sad part is that you now also hear the crappy sound of bad recordings or worse - your gear. The latter will cost. The good part - it doesn’t cost a fortune. There are loudspeakers for $200 that sound exquisite when following my easy recommendations although they sound mediocre when incorrectly positioned. 😉

[@roybatty2152]

Excellent video series, thank you. Hi-fi enthusiasts and home studio hobbyists who have any doubt as to the utility of room treatment would benefit greatly from watching this.

[@fril6004]

You've achieved a jaw-dropping and remarkable result at a price point that is more than reasonable and was noticeable immediately as you began to speak. Well done 👍🏻

[@lehmanhill]

Thank you, John. Your Lisbon room series is very important. You explain to a very wide audience the key concepts in room acoustic and what you need to do about it. There have been others who have tried, but your series gets the message across for everyone. Top notch!

[@sebastianbachert9528]

Hi John, it looks great, the effect is great. Congratulations. After your first video from this room I was shocked and thought "poor John, such a bad listening room". Now everything is fine. To me all these panels have a good WAF (even the ceiling). Thumbs up and best regards from Germany.

[@jeffreythurston1822]

What an amazing improvement. You never need to apologize for doing what you want for your own space. You owe nobody anything. Enjoy your music and space with your girlfriend.

[@astorbeijer9424]

If I could afford these treatments, I would do it in a heartbeat. Not only do they improve the sound, they are aesthetically really nice. Great bachelor pad vibe!

[@hollowaysteve]

And I think you’ve hit the nail on the head right there with ‘bachelor pad vibe’. John is very lucky to have a partner who has no problem with these panels. I do not think most peoples wives or girlfriends (and occasionally boyfriends) would be happy with it as John mentions in the video. My wife most definitely would not.

[@RobertGerman]

I'm in the middle of a gut rehab. We had the ceiling and walls sprayed with closed cell spray foam insulation. You can hear a difference after they sprayed, and as a bonus we're well-insulated from the elements.

[@steveg8699]

Wow! what a difference. I didn’t have to see your test results, it was in your voice as soon as you spoke. Incredible. Enjoy!

[@LowsJuan]

The clap test was a great demonstration of the effects of the upgrades on an empty room. I just wonder how it sounded prior to you removing all the furniture, media and electronics. The normal listen environment that we all use in this leisure activity or so to speak reality.

[@jyrkih6960]

That’s a valid point. One challenge with the furniture is that they typically impact only the lower part of the room. There can be up to 2/3 of the wall height and the whole ceiling acoustically untreated.

[@tbutterworth1692]

That looks like a ceramic tiled floor, which are always 'lively'. Decent carpet and underlay, curtains and strategically placed bookshelves full of books goes a long way in my (very inexpert) experience. Great content! 👍

[@patrickmccrank8414]

I don't think you're damned if you do. This is, part of what you do. This is the first step. A review of your room. You can't possibly hear differences or improvements in gear the way your room sounded before. Now your room is ready to properly evaluate everything that you bring in to evaluate for us.

[@jimgardner5129]

Also, step into any hifi shop and you'll no doubt listen to gear in a, wait for it, treated room!

[@patrickmccrank8414]

@Jim Gardner That's just good business. I mean, what are they going to say? Hold on while we put this high end gear in the bathroom so you can hear how it will sound in your office.

[@peepers4763]

Impressed and to my ears, worth the cost. The clap test alone impressed.

[@marcthomas2333]

Dear John, I have been a big fan of your channel for the last couple of months (I am close to buying a NAD M10 v2 for our basement flat thanks to your informative reviews of the gear). This video of the acoustic treatment was really impressive. I watched the last three videos about your new room and wondered where this will end up. Thank you so much for putting all this together. Very impressive and what a great job of the guys from Vicoustic.

[@adamfrost9048]

Great video that clearly shows the benefits of room treatment and is actually easily watchable. Most other room treatment videos are a chore to watch.

[@ZigUncut]

Looks gorgeous. Sounds great. Incredible difference.

[@sarahbarry718]

Very interesting series of videos John and I learnt plenty. So I think I see the Cambridge Audio Alva TT turntable, you got it! I bought one too and interested to hear your review in due course. Final thought to include the (granted very few) women like me following your channel, maybe terms like partner or significant other may be a little better. I’m sure there are plenty of wives, husbands, girlfriends or boyfriends who would both love or hate the room treatments. Personally I think it both looks and sounds great! Thanks again!

[@o0divinity0o]

Never been a fan of that deep red colour of the Zu’s. But it looks fantastic together with that dark wood and deep green 👍

[@jamesonau]

Looks amazing, I'm sure it also sounds amazing in person - the clap test made me actually Lol at the difference. Just incredible.

[@Kenny-Somafunk]

Well done John, massive improvement and I concur with your assessment that acoustics trump every single piece of equipment. I started off with KRK Rokit 7 monitors and KRK sub, then added £2.5k of GIK acoustics treatment to my 4.5m x 3.5m x 2.4m room, lived with it for a while then upgraded to Dynaudio LYD 48 monitors and Dynaudio 18s subwoofer on isoacoustic iso stands, room was set up with Umik mic using REW and Roon PEQ. Sounds superb and getting the room acoustically treated is worth every £ spent.

[@mrchrisgau]

Great video John. You have been proving your point in a very impressive way. However, I was converted already. I recently spent 1000.- on room treatment in my home office which is also a small little 15 square meter Hifi room. The room treatment is the most expensive single HiFi „“device“ in the room and while it isn‘t as significant as in your room, it also made a big difference. I can only confirm what you said… start with a treated room and it may save you money on the HiFi gear. Not only that, it‘s also more joyful.

[@freedolean]

Tip: The dust on the ceiling acoustic panels can easily be removed by listening to Florence Foster Jenkins occasionally...

[@davidrivera2165]

In a rectangular room, such as JD's, placing your system on one of the short walls is preferred so as to be able to bring out the speakers further out into the room, as well as attenuate the low frequency reverb. In the old days (70'-90's) thick rugs, wall to wall thick pleaded curtains, and tons of fluffy padded furniture did the job. Sadly, that meant you were likely to remain single, or be kicked down to the basement by your spouse. Thanks JD.

[@lloydbuckley2520]

Great video John, I would never moan that you got your room treated, as it shows us the importance of why we should get this done

[@stephensmith3111]

Very nice indeed. Good for you. As a now solo widowed, empty nest, retiree (a.k.a. U. S. Government certified Old Far..., ehr, Dude), I down-sized from a large house to a 3 room apartment in a nice old neighborhood. After signing the lease and setting up my relatively modest, but still quite good stereo system, I discovered that the main room has a very nasty bass resonance problem. This particularly upsets my turntable (Rega RP1 with Bias 2 MM cartridge). I had never experienced anything like this before. I had to sideline my venerable and beloved ADS L520 loudspeakers which simply overpower the room. Trying to fix the room is beyond my finite resources and I'm not sure how the landlady would react to any major modifications anyway. But all is not lost. I now use a pair of Wonder Puppies (Pioneer SP-BS22-LRs*) on tall stands with the rear ports plugged with rolled up wool socks and the bass rolled off a bit at the integrated amp [Yaayyy, tone controls!]. This has tamed the resonance as long as I don't play the system too loudly when playing CDs and SACDs. Bass shy music is still infinitely better than no music. Vinyl playback is still affected, though. For this and for critical listening, the solution is to take the room out of the equation with headphones (Irish made Sennheiser HD 600s). I remain a decidedly loudspeaker kind of guy, but I have come to terms with this reality. And I still enjoy the music. -- ✌🙂 *All hail Andrew Jones, hero of audiophiles of all socio-economic strata!

[@glung20]

2 things: 1. It's no doubt a big improvement 2. You're a lucky guy ;-)

[@ruudduppen]

It looks awesome! Not only does it help acoustically, it is decorative as well.

[@TapestryUntied]

I wish I could like this video 100 times. I treated my listening room (my living room) with mostly DIY treatments and select treatments from GIK. The pieces I made and the ones I chose to buy suit my furniture and home style really well. I've gotten compliments on how cool the space looks before I even put music on

[@jimmixgs]

I remember when I bought my pair of Wharfedales Evo 4.1, I was so blown away by the detail and range of the sound, but more importantly, how natural they sounded on the listening room of the audio store. Ever since then I installed them on my room and listened to them kinda nearfield, it's all I can do and they sound great tbh, but they never again sounded so beautifully natural (specially on pianos and strings) as they did on that treated room. Can't wait to have the space and money to have a properly treated room for my system. Totally agree on the importance of it.

[@TheDealer1228]

FWIW I think the way this room turned out looks more tasteful than the Berlin treatment. Not that the Berlin treatment is *bad*, I just think this looks a bit more home-y, if that makes sense. Thanks for including us on this journey as always, John.

[@MAELOB]

Spot on , I am amazed at how some audiophiles spend thousands of dollars in equipment but pay no attention to room acoustics and set up 😬

[@rdp316]

Probably the best video I’ve seen on showing how much the room contributes to the sound of any hi-fi set up. And yeah, if you’re willing and able to spend $5k on upgrading a piece of equipment that that money is spent on treating the room

[@christopherkemp7286]

I spent £1700 with GIK Acoustic about 3 years ago. I sent them a place of my room.....spare bedroom 3 x 4m...and they came up with a plan. The acoustic panels I bought from them were free standing, so no fixing necessary. They made the same difference as John. You will not hear how good your system is unless you treat your room......If you can.

[@geoffsager]

Bravo! Outstanding result. I am definitely considering taking action to improve my listening room. Thanks for this demonstration of how acoustic room treatments transformed your space. I agree that this is one of your best!

[@jamesj9728]

Step one of any audiophile journey should absolutely be properly treating the room. I went with GIK and despite having a rig that costs 1/4 that of my friend's in non-treated rooms, no system sounds as good as mine. Terrific video and I 100% agree! Best piece of kit ever and worth every penny! Nice work!

[@CapnJack100]

Loved the video. There is no question, my next move is working on the acoustics in my living room. It amazes me how few care to do this.

[@vmm4858]

Excellent content, I really agree that this is one of the most important videos you have ever made. 🙂 It still surprises me that we keep having this conversation/argument in the audio community. I've been saying it for many years and this video is just another confirmation of it: " the room, and its acoustics, are the most important elements in an audio system". But that's just one man's opinion. Thanks for sharing, John. Take care.

[@timkolacny967]

Excellent presentation John! Even beyond making the room SOUND better, the treatments you discussed add a visual flair that makes it a room you want to spend time in and relax - key factors to enjoying music and a good Hi-Fi system. I'm absolutely going to do this to my new listening area when I move this summer.

[@willblomker1393]

The clap test difference is astonishing.

[@anastassiosroumboutsos8288]

You nailed it especially near the end of this video. I WISH I started this hobby backwards. Rather than spending all kinds of money trying to solve an issue with electronics when it was due to the room sound characteristics that was resolved with Vicoustic and GIK Acoustics panels. I wonder why we continue to ignore the most important aspect to great sound. I wish others such as large publications put more emphasis on it. Thank you!

[@mariofonseca9267]

This is the “best” video I’ve watched from you John!!

[@raphaelmeillat8527]

Great video John! The clapping demo is quite astonishing!

[@Another_Audiophile]

It is simple. Room treatment shall be accounted as part of the audio chain and equipment. Jolly nice to see such a tremendous difference. The question is if they can tailor the sound to your liking.

[@stuartwells4133]

I’m so glad I clicked onto this video John, the room looks fantastic and sounds a million times better then it originally did.

[@noelmarkham]

Genuinely impressed at the cost. If that had been 10x higher I'd have believed it. It looks great!

[@marioalves9625]

Finally: the Room, the most important and more overlooked hi-fi component is getting the attention it deserves. Thanks John

[@evaodland7349]

Amazing results...I like that there is still some character to the room, a very soft ambient reverb that is quite pleasing...

[@cafepuschkin3955]

That 'clap' test was quite the demonstration - deserves a round of applause! Pricey, for sure, but if the graphs are anything to go by, well worth the investment. Thanks for an interesting and revealing video.

[@thomasblak5315]

Amazing! Congratulations on your new listening space. I think it looks amazing and the results are better than good. Vicoustics did a great job.

[@jk9436]

Indeed a huge change. I would love to hear it in person. All the best and looking forward to future videos from your new part time domicile!

[@eedoamitay3341]

I can only imagine what a room like that sounds like, must be perfection

[@joelblizzard160]

Love this series. Love your attitude. Thank you for putting this together in such great detail.

[@llee4225]

This is your best video for me. Good to see the measurements to show what each piece does and the overall result. As you state or infer, room acoustic is the foundation for building to the best sound.

[@marks-the-spot]

Phenomenal result, John. The moment you started speaking the improvement was obvious. Looking forward to your upcoming reviews from the new space.

[@martinpowell195]

Just WOW. I have always thought rooms are a component of good sound. Thank you for taking the time to show us all the change that can happen. In an awful room. I agree this is the most important hi-fi video you have produced. Possibly the most valuable information produced by any channel. Well done! Desert Powell

[@Magoo71]

Just hearing the difference of your mic was incredible to what it sounded like before the treatments! The Clap difference was amazing as well but what I also expected to hear!

[@KeithSkronek]

Awesome video and congratulations on the results! Enjoy!

[@mrdavid998899]

What an amazing difference, I also think the choice of colours and textures look really cool !

[@jack1109]

Impressive result and I like your colour choices too.

[@lloydmetcalf2593]

Great video John. The look and sound of your listening room is terrific. I noticed though that many of the panels appear to be glued to the wall and was wondering if you asked the installers how much damage will occur if you decide to move at some point in time, and you want to take the treatments with you. I can imagine the ceiling and wall drywall coming off with the acoustic treatments. 😯

[@beachroadfilms]

Your MOST impressive video yet. Good job!

[@AysahSpades]

This vid has made me decide to bite the bullet and treat my room. I've been saying I'll do it for years but those graphs just sold it.

[@leewilcox4044]

Thank you John for such an informative video. Acoustic treatments have certainly been on my radar in the past, but the before and after clap test really underscores the value of room treatment. I have previously been focussed more on bass issues within a room, which to a degree can be addressed by DSP. But reverb, that's quite another thing, as your series of videos have very ably demonstrated. A really thought provoking video. Thanks again John.

[@danmangan7408]

Thanks for this video John. Acoustic treatment is part of the deal. Not sure why people would be sour about your providing this very helpful info. I found it super helpful and it has me thinking about building my own treatments to see what kind of impact I can make on a budget!

[@humblestates]

these green cushions and dark wood screen look absolutely amazing , I'm "always cold" type of person so I would also cover the floor with the biggest rug/carpet there is so it absorbs the sound too ; ) if I'm covering the ceiling - floor gets covered too

[@lazarosnikolaidis256]

One of the videos I couldn't wait to watch. And was awed! "VERKLARUNG"!!! Man, if only I could invest on such treatment on my living room! Understand this is your studio/listening/test area and afterwards cinema...But surely room is No1 to audio nirvana, before any machine! Thank you for this video and wish you happy/healthy/careless life and work in Lisbon! Greetings! P.S.#1: Aesthetically your new room kicks the butt of previous one! It's probably 5 times prettier (I must admit that new one was at first a meh!). Totally loved the green, wenge details. And the ceiling!! 😍 P.s.#2: Your TV looks smaller on this wooden panel. And I think it's a little higher than eye level? (Don't know, I guess...) Anyway, the whole setup was glorious, I liked so much and believe no one that will tell you 'you spent a lot'. IT WAS WORTH IT, sound-wise & aesthetic-wise'!

[@draft13]

Charts be damned. That clap test is the real test. What a difference.

[@christopherward5065]

It’s aesthetically pleasing but that calls for a minimalist dedicated space given over to a pure audio install. I bet it’s totally worth it on several levels.congratulations!

[@syntheee]

My audio-/home-office room is quite small (4 x 3,6 x 2,65 m), to make matters worse speakers are placed at the longer wall. Although the speakers/subwoofer I use have built-in dsp capability reverb was too much, and you just can't "repair" a room with an RT60 between 0,8 and 1 seconds. But after installing several absorbers at the front and back wall, first reflection points and placing lower-frequency absorbers in the corners, RT 60 is now between 0,35 and 0,45 seconds. Just like you said: It truly is a night-and-day difference, more so than any other uprade of audio equipment.

[@jimminychristmas8100]

Great vid, Darko....I learned a whole lot about room treatment. I learned also that I am in dire need of room treatment. Truth be told, I was a bit relieved when the price was mentioned!

[@darylwootton5217]

Thanks for this John, clearly demonstrates the difference that can be had with treatment. If someone can’t change their shared lounge room maybe it’s time to take over a different room and then treat it. 🤷‍♂️

[@ystebadvonschlegel3295]

Absolutely true. I had a completely sound treated room in a home I built a few years back. NOTHING gives you as much improvement. It’s worth the money if you have it. You have to experience it to believe it.

[@loryhawley2930]

A fabulous series on acoustics! You put so much work into making this a rich resource of scientific information. I do have one tiny nitpick however. I am a fledgling audiophile and I am a woman. As one of three women in an audiophile group of over 300 members in the San Francisco Bay Area, I am aware we might be in the minority. However, there is a common reference to "the wife" as the limiter on audio expenditures. Can we please grow beyond these stereotypes? In my case, it is "the husband" who need convincing, though good for you for mentioning your enthusiastic girlfriend who is all in on your treatments. By the way, I think those treatments are beautiful and tasteful.

[@bertbongers]

Spill your woke propaganda somewhere else

[@theworldwidewiebe6515]

🙄 So you're aware that you are in a minority of less than 1% of audiophiles but you can't find it within you to shut up and respect the experiences of the more-than-99% majority? And you can't find it within you to use that brain of yours to translate the word "wife" to "spouse" to accurately interpret the information freely offered by strangers to fit your own highly exceptional situation? You only find it within you to express offense and resentment? That mindset and behaviour are toxic. Grow the F up.

[@suryadnb]

Yes, the difference is very noticeable. Even without the clap test, the lack of reverb on your voice is almost completely gone. Nice job!

[@stevep2111]

Oh my god I mean, I could hear a clear difference in your voice to camera from the get go, but my god that clap test says everything!!

[@decress]

What a stunning improvement - and I'm not just talking about the sound. That room looks fantastic!

[@Phil_f8andbethere]

Brilliant John. I can't understand why anyone would have a go at you for spending that on your room. It's your livelihood, not just a hobby like it is for the majority of us. It looks and sounds fantastic. My cheapskate way of getting around the room problem is pulling the speakers out into the room, towing the speakers in towards my shoulders and sitting about 1.2 x the distance between my speakers away. This gives me more of the direct sound and the reflections are not really noticeable. I daresay if I got Vi-acoustics in it would make another huge improvement, but there's no way the domestic authorities would sanction it!.

[@liamo4]

Huge difference even listening through KZbin John. I like the colour scheme too. Visually stunning one the white walls and ceiling. Looks like art.